Indian Wells // Tales From The City

My first time in London was in 2013, thanks to Songkick who got me to play at the Shacklewell Arms with Patten. Since then I’ve happened to be back several times, both to say ‘hi’ to friends who live here and to play. The feeling is alienating every time, as if it were a reality too big and complex for me to understand. But, for all that, London is always very fascinating and full of surprises.

I link many contrasting and surprising memories with the city. Like the time I played with a bad fever and cough – it was really terrible. Or when I played at Birthdays; to this day one of the best gigs I remember playing in my small music career.

London is a truly amazing city, you never know what to expect, and would you ever expect to be not paid for two dates in a row, right?

Of course the city is a living songbook and the centre of European music, but for me it’s not just that. Once we stayed in an Airbnb room around Haggerston. It was a very nice apartment and we knew there was a dog. We knew it because we had seen the bowls but we would never see him or even hear him when going around the entire apartment. Only at night we could hear him breathing but still today we do not know if he really existed or if it was just the result of bad dreams…

I remember every time I felt inadequate for my English leading to incredibly awkward social moments; the unbelievable choice of places to eat, from the Peruvian to Japanese and the huge variety of cultures that live together.

I also remember a great ramen lunch with Gold Panda in Soho. And fitted carpets in hotels, why do you like fitted carpets so much?